Omnis namque pontifex ex hominibus assumptus, pro hominibus constituitur in iis quæ sunt ad Deum, ut offerat dona, et sacrificia pro peccatis:

For every high priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins:

The purpose for which any high priest is chosen from among his fellow men, and made a representative of men in their dealings with God, is to offer gifts and sacrifices in expiation of their sins.

qui condolere possit iis qui ignorant et errant: quoniam et ipse circumdatus est infirmitate:

Who can have compassion on them that are ignorant and that err: because he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

He is qualified for this by being able to feel for them when they are ignorant and make mistakes, since he, too, is all beset with humiliations,

et propterea debet, quemadmodum pro populo, ita etiam et pro semetipso offerre pro peccatis.

And therefore he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

and, for that reason, must needs present sin-offerings for himself, just as he does for the people.

Nec quisquam sumit sibi honorem, sed qui vocatur a Deo, tamquam Aaron.

Neither doth any man take the honour to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was.

His vocation comes from God, as Aaron’s did; nobody can take on himself such a privilege as this.

Sic et Christus non semetipsum clarificavit ut pontifex fieret: sed qui locutus est ad eum: Filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te.

So Christ also did not glorify himself, that he might be made a high priest: but he that said unto him: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

So it is with Christ. He did not raise himself to the dignity of the high priesthood; it was God that raised him to it, when he said, Thou art my Son, I have begotten thee this day,

Quemadmodum et in alio loco dicit: Tu es sacerdos in æternum, secundum ordinem Melchisedech.

As he saith also in another place: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.

and so, elsewhere, Thou art a priest for ever, in the line of Melchisedech.

Qui in diebus carnis suæ preces, supplicationesque ad eum qui possit illum salvum facere a morte cum clamore valido, et lacrimis offerens, exauditus est pro sua reverentia.

Who in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offering up prayers and supplications to him that was able to save him from death, was heard for his reverence.

Christ, during his earthly life, offered prayer and entreaty to the God who could save him from death, not without a piercing cry, not without tears; yet with such piety as won him a hearing.

Et quidem cum esset Filius Dei, didicit ex iis, quæ passus est, obedientiam:

And whereas indeed he was the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered:

Son of God though he was, he learned obedience in the school of suffering,

et consummatus, factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi, causa salutis æternæ,

And being consummated, he became, to all that obey him, the cause of eternal salvation.

and now, his full achievement reached, he wins eternal salvation for all those who render obedience to him.

appellatus a Deo pontifex juxta ordinem Melchisedech.

Called by God a high priest according to the order of Melchisedech.

A high priest in the line of Melchisedech, so God has called him.

De quo nobis grandis sermo, et ininterpretabilis ad dicendum: quoniam imbecilles facti estis ad audiendum.

Of whom we have much to say, and hard to be intelligibly uttered: because you are become weak to hear.

Of Christ as priest we have much to say, and it is hard to make ourselves understood in the saying of it, now that you have grown so dull of hearing.

Etenim cum deberetis magistri esse propter tempus, rursum indigetis ut vos doceamini quæ sint elementa exordii sermonum Dei: et facti estis quibus lacte opus sit, non solido cibo.

For whereas for the time you ought to be masters, you have need to be taught again what are the first elements of the words of God: and you are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

You should, after all this time, have been teachers yourselves, and instead of that you need to be taught; taught even the first principles on which the oracles of God are based. You have gone back to needing milk, instead of solid food.

Omnis enim, qui lactis est particeps, expers est sermonis justitiæ: parvulus enim est.

For every one that is a partaker of milk, is unskilful in the word of justice: for he is a little child.

Those who have milk for their diet can give no account of what holiness means; how should they? They are only infants.

Perfectorum autem est solidus cibus: eorum, qui pro consuetudine exercitatos habent sensus ad discretionem boni ac mali.

But strong meat is for the perfect; for them who by custom have their senses exercised to the discerning of good and evil.

Solid food is for the full-grown; for those whose faculties are so trained by exercise that they can distinguish between good and evil.